Cut hay is collected in the form of bales which are typically 14 inches by 18 inches by three and one half feet and are bound by twine or wire. The hay baler compresses the bale prior to applying the twine. The twine is of limited strength, limiting the extent to which the hay can be compressed and the density of the hay bale. This generally results in a rather loose bale.
Attempts have been made to stack hay bales to form a large bundle of hay without success. A bundle of hay weighing many hundreds of pounds is more easily stored and affords economic advantages in handling, shipping and in feeding livestock over individual bales. However, these large bundles cannot be moved by hand and thus require mechanical means for moving and storing the bundles. If the individual bales are rather loosely bound such as by twine or are damaged by cutting or shredding, the resultant large bundle of bales is even more loosely constrained rendering handling of the bundle difficult even by a machine and frequently resulting in loss and waste of hay.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned problems encountered in the prior art by providing a hay bale stacking apparatus which under the control of a computer receives individual hay bales, stacks the bales in a large bundle, tightly bounds the bundle, and discharges the banded bundle from the aft of the apparatus as it traverses a field. The bundles are configured to facilitate handling such as by pallet forks, the individual bales are positioned and oriented in the bundle in a manner which enhances hay storage, and the bundle itself is a solid, rigid and self-supporting package with minimum damage to the hay.